Comments for: East Millinocket woman found guilty in theft of elderly mother’s money

BANGOR, Maine — A Penobscot County jury on Friday found an East Millinocket woman guilty of stealing more than $84,000 from her elderly mother — most of which she gambled away at Hollywood Slots. Meredith A. Purcell, 59, did not react as the verdict was announced,… Read More

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Pav

How can a person to do that to her own mother?? Living the last years of her life worrying about money after her husband worked hard to make sure that she would be financially comfortable.. Make the woman work for the rest of her mother’s life paying for her mothers upkeep!!

Tom Jones

This is a hard case I would say for the jury and/or courts to figure out. What should be done in these cases is once a yr a tax account should go over all the expenses and check for fraud.

Henderson bobby

This case is BS. If the daughter took care of the mother she should not have done it for free.

jerrymyx

Her mother took care of her ! What you said makes as much sense as saying, the mother should bill her daughter for raising her until she was at least 18..huh? You can never pay a mother back, even with $$$$. Epic comment!

Henderson bobby

What I am saying is do not expect anyone to take care of you for nothing. A nursing home charges $100k+ a year. That little $1000 a month check dose not go very far . As far as money taken out her husband took out more than the daughter did. So it must cost some money to live. If I need to keep tract of every penny of my parents money I guess I will not be power of attorney. Some of these old people will not even help with the food they eat ant to save thier whole check .

Anonymous

bottom line… if your given POA, treat it with care and responsibility. This is not a green light to go on a spending spree and neglect the woman who trusted you with her finances. geesh.

She did not spend all her mothers money on herself. Oh ya you take care of someone for nothing while they save thier whole check . I know how cheap some old people can be .

Anonymous

it wasn’t hers to spend.

jerrymyx

Bobby, you mean elderly.. right? The lady is not just someone but her MOTHER!!!

Anonymous

It was her mother for pity sake. Did mom charge for caring for the daughter for 18+ years?

Anonymous

For most people, it’s a matter of love, affection, and moral duty, so that “free” doesn’t enter into matters between parent and child. Just as parents take care of their very young children, children should care for their elderly parents.

I am sure had she been in need (not want for gambling money) and asked, mom probably would have said, sure, take a few bucks here and there. But to take such a large amount in a deceitful way is not the same and your attempts to make it so, fail.

Anonymous

How could a daughter do this to her mother or anyone else for that matter? This poor lady that had enough to live on, now has to scrimp in her later years. How can the daughter sleep nights? If all the allegations are true, she needs to be imprisoned and suffer too.

Anonymous

If she had used the money to buy Megabucks tickets, it never would have been brought up by the state

Anonymous

That’s a lot of money. Having to pay that all back will probably cost her their home, her gambling fund, her summer home… not to mention her pride, self worth and family name.

Anonymous

the judge will decide what the restitution is, not the bangor daily.

Anonymous

Amen to that! I’ve never known a local newspaper to decide anyones fate…. that IS typically a Judges decision….

bytheway

Why shouldn’t she have to pay the whole $$ amount back. I’m sure there was alot more taken then what they could actually prove. Just sayin.

Anonymous

The convicted thief “does not have a gambling problem”.
According to her attorney, Mr Billings.
Really ??

I wonder if the attorney would testify to that under oath??

Anonymous

Maybe not a gambling problem but she defiantly has a stealing problem.
Regardless…..lock her up she’s scum.

ok, bright one. you have you’re blinders on too. you don’t have to be a genius to see that the verdict is perfect. right on the nose. done for. she got what she deserved. this type of thing probably happens all the time, its time to make an example out of her so more people will wake up and smell the roses and say “this could happen to me, I better look out”.

bytheway

How could 12 of her peers find her guilty by looking at the facts if she was not guilty?????

its funny, there’s only one person commenting on here in a nice way, obviously a certain friend or maybe even neighbor, i’d be nice too if I liked my neighbor and tried to ignore the fact that they were theives.

bytheway

Hmmmm. lost her job? Did the till come up short at Napa too?

Anonymous

Pitiful!!! She has no conscience. One thing she didn’t spend her Mom’s money on–hair dye!!

Anonymous

Bottom of the barrel…

bytheway

A Penobscot County jury found Meredith Purcell of East Millinocket guilty Friday afternoon of theft by unauthorized taking and misuse of entrusted property. Purcell stole “more” than $84,000 from her elderly mother.

Anonymous

i do not know who is lower,her or the attorney who made up that ridiculous line of crap to defend her theft

Anonymous

Breach of fiduciary duty. When an elder signs a power of attorney, the fiduciary duty created by the document imposes certain duties on the agent. For example:

The agent must keep the elder informed of things that affect the elder’s interests.

The agent may gain a profit ONLY if he or she informs and gets consent of the elder.

The agent MAY NOT acquire an interest adverse to the elder or reap a secret profit.

The agent MAY NOT transfer the elder’s property to him or herself (or to others) unless the power of attorney specifically confers that power.

If the agent fails to act in accordance with these fiduciary duties of fidelity and good faith, the agent may be liable for breaching (that is, breaking) the fiduciary duty.